Blower unit for air conditioned garment and air conditioned garment

ABSTRACT

A fan unit for an air-conditioned garment, wherein the fan unit takes external air into an interspace between the garment and a wearer&#39;s body, the fan unit including: a fan that blows external air into the interior of the garment; a motor that rotates the fan; a battery that supplies power to the motor; a charging terminal for charging the battery; and a power switch to start and stop the fan unit, wherein the fan, the motor and the battery are housed in a casing, the casing has an air intake port that takes in external air, and an air blowing port that blows the taken-in external air into the interior of the garment, the charging terminal and the power switch are provided on the exterior of the casing, and the casing has a thickness of 5 to 30 mm in an axial direction of the fan.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to a fan unit for an air-conditioned garment and an air-conditioned garment including the fan unit that maintain a comfortable environment within the garment due to achieving a reduced feeling of heat, and provide an excellent wearing comfortability and design even in occasions to be worn in offices, at home and the like.

BACKGROUND

As countermeasures against global warming, setting air conditioners to a higher temperature during summer and to a lower temperature during winter is one of the effective means of reducing carbon dioxide emissions. However, changing the temperature settings of air conditioners may lead to a decreased comfortability in indoor spaces such as offices and residences, to cause an unpleasant feeling resulting from stickiness due to sweating, particularly, during summer. To solve such a problem, there has been proposed a garment that maintains comfortability, in which external air is taken into the garment using a fan.

For example, a garment is proposed in which the internal temperature of the garment can be controlled by blowing external air into the interior of the garment by a fan unit including a fan (see JP 2018-21289 A). The technique described above enables blowing external air into the interior of the garment, efficiently and in an easy-to-use manner, even when wearing working tools.

A garment is also proposed, in which external air is blown into the internal space within the garment by a fan device retained in a retaining section such as a pocket, and the external air is delivered to a desired region through the internal space within the garment (see JP 2017-36535 A). Since the technique described above supplies external air to an individual portion through the internal space, it restricts cooling in the region where a wearer does not require cooling.

Further, a fan for ventilation within a garment is proposed in which the evaporation of sweat is accelerated by allowing an intake air stream to flow in the vicinity of the skin (see JP 2018-59493 A). The technique described above enables a user to ventilate arbitrarily at the body portion where the user feels hot, and to obtain a comfortable microclimate within the garment.

According to the technique disclosed in JP '289, external air can be supplied to a worker without compromising the functions of the working tools worn on the worker, by allowing the fan unit to be received in a receiving section attached to the garment having an engaging portion. However, in common occasions to be worn in offices, at home and the like, the design of the workwear is compromised due to the expansion thereof caused by the external air taken into the interior of the workwear through the fan unit. In addition, there are also problems that the presence of a power cable that supplies power to the fan unit or the large size of the fan unit causes a considerable discomfort during wearing, and further that the rotational speed of the fan needs to be increased to efficiently evaporate sweat released from the body during work, as a result of which the noise emitted from the fan is increased.

According to the technique disclosed in JP '535, the external air can be delivered to an individual portion the wearer desires, enabling to efficiently cool the body of the wearer. However, in common occasions to be worn in offices, at home and the like, the design of the garment is compromised due to the expansion thereof when the external air blown from the fan device passes through the internal space within the garment. In addition, there are also problems that the presence of a power cable that supplies power to the fan device causes considerable discomfort during wearing, and further that it is essential to use a double fabric to create the internal space within the garment, which increases the feeling of heat when the fan stops.

Further, according to the technique disclosed in JP '493, the evaporation of sweat is accelerated by allowing an intake air stream to flow in the vicinity of the skin, and in addition, a blow-out stream is utilized for ventilation, as a result of which a comfortable microclimate within the garment can be obtained. However, since the fan for ventilation within a garment does not employ the idea of taking in external air, and is basically based on the circulation of the air within the garment, there was a problem that the ventilation efficiency is low.

It could therefore be helpful to provide a fan unit for an air-conditioned garment and an air-conditioned garment including the fan unit that maintain a comfortable environment within the garment due to achieving a reduced feeling of heat, and provide an excellent wearing comfortability and design even in occasions to be worn in offices, at home and the like.

SUMMARY

We found that when the air is blown locally to the back portion of the body where the skin moisture content is high and the movement is not complex, or to the armpits where the sweat rate is high, it is possible to efficiently cool the body even with a relatively small volume of blown air. Further, we found that, when a known fan unit is attached to a thin shirt intended to be worn at office or at home, the presence of the power cable connecting the battery and the fan unit or the fact that the thickness of the fan unit itself is large causes discomfort during wearing, resulting in a significant decrease in the comfortability during wearing.

We also found that it is possible to obtain a fan unit for an air-conditioned garment and an air-conditioned garment including the fan unit, in which the design of the garment is not compromised because the localized cooling of a specific portion of the body enables a reduction in the rotational speed and the air-blowing capacity of the fan, thereby allowing for a reduced expansion of the garment; and in which an excellent wearing comfortability and design can be achieved even in occasions to be worn in offices, at home and the like, by reducing the thickness of the fan unit, including a battery mounted thereto, to equal to or lower than a certain thickness.

We thus provide a fan unit that takes external air into the interspace between the garment and the body, the fan unit including at least:

a fan that blows external air into the interior of the garment;

a motor that rotates the fan;

a battery that supplies power to the motor;

a charging terminal for charging the battery; and

a power switch that starts and stops the fan unit,

wherein the fan, the motor and the battery are housed in a casing,

the casing has an air intake port that takes in external air, and an air blowing port that blows the taken-in external air into the interior of the garment,

the charging terminal and the operating portion of the power switch are provided on the exterior of the casing, and

the casing has a thickness of 5 to 30 mm in the axial direction of the fan.

Preferably, the casing of the fan unit is substantially in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, whose longest side has a length of 200 mm or less.

Preferably, the fan is a centrifugal fan or a cross-flow fan that blows air in the direction substantially perpendicular to the axial direction of the fan.

Preferably, a Peltier element for cooling or heating the external air taken into the fan unit is incorporated into the fan unit.

The air-conditioned garment includes one or more receiving sections that each receives the fan unit for an air-conditioned garment according to any one of the above, wherein openings for taking in external air are provided to each receiving section at both portions thereof which come into contact with the air intake port and the air blowing port of the casing of the fan unit.

We thus provide a fan unit for an air-conditioned garment and an air-conditioned garment including the fan unit that maintain a comfortable environment within the garment due to achieving a reduced feeling of heat, and which provide an excellent wearing comfortability and design. In particular, the fan unit for an air-conditioned garment and the air-conditioned garment including the fan unit can be suitably used in occasions to be worn in offices, at home and the like.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the fan unit for an air-conditioned garment of Example 1.

FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the receiving section for receiving the fan unit, in the air-conditioned garment of Example 1.

FIG. 3 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the fan unit for an air-conditioned garment of Example 2.

FIG. 4 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the receiving section for receiving the fan unit, in the air-conditioned garment of Example 2.

FIG. 5 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the fan unit for an air-conditioned garment of Example 3.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

-   1: fan with a motor -   2: battery -   3: charging terminal -   4: power switch -   5: casing -   6: air intake port -   7: air blowing port -   8: flow path -   9: fan unit -   10: fabric of air-conditioned garment -   11: receiving section (pocket-shaped) -   12: opening (air intake port) -   13: opening (air blowing port) -   14: opening (insertion port for fan unit) -   15: flap -   16: Peltier element

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Fan Unit for Air-Conditioned Garment

The fan unit for an air-conditioned garment is a fan unit that takes external air into the interspace between the garment and the body, the fan unit including at least:

a fan that blows external air into the interior of the garment;

a motor that rotates the fan;

a battery that supplies power to the motor;

a charging terminal for charging the battery; and

a power switch that starts and stops the fan unit,

wherein the fan, the motor and the battery are housed in a casing,

the casing has an air intake port that takes in external air, and an air blowing port that blows the taken-in external air into the interior of the garment,

the charging terminal and the operating portion of the power switch are provided on the exterior of the casing, and

the casing has a thickness of 5 to 30 mm in the axial direction of the fan.

It is important that the fan unit has a structure that takes external air into the interspace between the garment and the body. When external air is taken into the interspace between the garment and the body, the air trapped within the garment can be discharged from openings such as the collar or sleeves, making it possible to drastically increase the ventilation efficiency compared to when the air is circulated within the garment.

It is important that the fan unit includes a fan that blows external air into the interior of the garment. The use of the fan in the fan unit forcibly creates an air stream, making it possible to efficiently take in external air into the interior of the garment.

The fan to be used in the fan unit is preferably a centrifugal fan or a cross-flow fan that blows air in the direction substantially perpendicular to the axial direction of the fan. The use of a centrifugal fan or a cross-flow fan facilitates blowing external air having a directivity in the direction substantially parallel to the body, making it possible to perform a localized cooling. Further, when the air is blown in the direction substantially parallel to the body, the garment is less likely to expand compared to when the air is blown in the direction substantially perpendicular to the body, making it possible to obtain an air-conditioned garment with an excellent design.

The fan to be used in the fan unit preferably has a diameter in the direction perpendicular to the fan axis of 10 to 60 mm. When the fan has a diameter in the direction perpendicular to the fan axis of preferably 10 mm or more, more preferably 15 mm or more, and still more preferably 20 mm or more, it is possible to obtain a volume of blown air sufficient for delivering external air into the interior of the garment. Further, when the fan has a diameter in the direction perpendicular to the fan axis of preferably 60 mm or less, more preferably 55 mm or less, and still more preferably 50 mm or less, the noise while driving the fan as well as the size of the body of the fan unit can be reduced, making it possible to obtain a fan unit for an air-conditioned garment which causes less discomfort during wearing.

The fan to be used in the fan unit preferably has a thickness in the axial direction of the fan of 3 to 18 mm. When the fan has a thickness in the fan axial direction of preferably 3 mm or more, more preferably 4 mm or more, and still more preferably 5 mm or more, it is possible to obtain a volume of blown air sufficient for delivering external air into the interior of the garment. Further, when the fan has a thickness in the fan axial direction of preferably 18 mm or less, more preferably 16 mm or less, and still more preferably 14 mm or less, the thickness of the body of the fan unit can be reduced, making it possible to obtain a fan unit for an air-conditioned garment which causes less discomfort during wearing.

A plurality of fans may be used as the fan to be used in the fan unit for an air-conditioned garment. When using a plurality of fans, it is possible to use, for example, a pair of counter rotating fans in which fans rotating in different directions are layered, or a combination of a centrifugal fan and an axial fan.

It is important that the fan unit includes a motor that rotates the fan. When the motor is built in the fan unit, an air-blowing function can be provided by the fan unit alone.

The motor to be used in the fan unit is preferably a DC (direct current) motor. The use of a DC motor as the motor allows a stable operation even at a low voltage.

It is important that the fan unit includes a battery that supplies power to the motor. When the battery is built in the fan unit, the power cable connecting the fan unit and the battery can be prevented from being exposed, making it possible to obtain an air-conditioned garment that provides an excellent comfortability during wearing.

The battery to be used in the fan unit is a secondary battery capable of being repeatedly charged and discharged. Examples of such a battery include lead storage batteries, alkaline storage batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-hydrogen batteries and lithium-ion batteries, but not limited thereto. Among these, it is preferred to use a lithium-ion battery since a reduction in size and an increase in capacity can be achieved.

It is desirable to use a secondary battery as the battery. Although it requires a work for the replacement of the battery, a primary battery can also be used. In this example, it is also possible to employ a configuration in which a charging terminal is not provided.

It is important that the fan unit includes a charging terminal for charging the battery, and that the connecting portion of the charging terminal with the power cable be provided on the exterior of the casing. When the fan unit includes the charging terminal, the battery can be charged without removing the battery from the fan unit, allowing for a significant improvement in the practical usability of the fan unit.

It is important that the fan unit includes a power switch to start and stop the fan unit, and that the operating portion of the power switch be provided on the exterior of the casing. When the fan unit includes the power switch, the fan unit can be started and stopped at an arbitrary timing. The on/off of the power during normal use may be carried out by a switch other than the above-described power switch, for example, by a radio signal from an external device or the like.

The fan unit preferably includes a variable device to change the rotational speed of the fan in stages. The variable device may be, for example, a DC/DC converter with a selector switch, but not particularly limited thereto. The rotational speed of the fan may be changed, for example, by a radio signal from an external device.

It is important, in the fan unit, that devices such as the fan, the motor, the battery, the charging terminal and the power switch are housed in one casing. Housing the devices described above in one casing not only facilitates the attachment to, and removal from, the air-conditioned garment, but also prevents wiring cables from being exposed outside the casing during use, making it possible to obtain an air-conditioned garment which provides an excellent comfortability during wearing.

It is important that the casing to be used in the fan unit has an air intake port that takes in external air, and an air blowing port to blow the taken-in external air into the interior of the garment. Having the air intake port efficiently takes in external air, and having the air blowing port delivers the taken-in external air to an arbitrary location. The number of the air intake port and the air blowing port is not particularly limited. However, it is preferred that each port be provided to the casing in a number of 4 or less, more preferably 2 or less, because it facilitates the sewing of the air-conditioned garment.

In the casing to be used in the fan unit, it is preferred that the air intake port (the air intake port having the largest area when having a plurality of air intake ports) and the air blowing port (the air blowing port having the largest area when having a plurality of air blowing ports) open to different surfaces, and that the air intake port and the air blowing port be arranged to not be aligned on the same line when seen from the perpendicular direction of the exterior surface of the casing. When the casing has the air intake port and the air blowing port, preferably on different surfaces, and more preferably, when the casing has the air blowing port on the surface opposed to the surface having the air intake port, it is possible to efficiently take in external air without causing interference between the in-taken air stream and the blown air stream, and to facilitate blowing air locally to a specific portion of the body. Further, when an air intake port 6 and an air blowing port 7 are arranged to not be aligned on the same line, for example, as shown in front views such as FIGS. 1 and 3, openings provided on the fabric of the air-conditioned garment to be described later will not be aligned in the direction perpendicular to the fabric. Therefore, the skin or underwear on the inner side of the air-conditioned garment is not easily exposed, even when removing the fan unit, and the design of the garment will not be compromised.

It is important that the casing to be used in the fan unit have a thickness of 5 to 30 mm in the axial direction of the fan in the casing. When the casing has a thickness of 5 mm or more, preferably 6 mm or more, and more preferably 7 mm or more, it is possible to increase the strength of the casing to prevent the casing from breaking, and to mount a fan with a large air-blowing capacity. Further, when the casing has a thickness of 30 mm or less, preferably 25 mm or less, and more preferably 20 mm or less, the casing will not get in the way even when the wearer sits down, making it possible to obtain an air-conditioned garment which provides an excellent comfortability during wearing.

The casing to be used in the fan unit is preferably substantially in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. When the casing is substantially in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, the casing can be easily fixed to a receiving section in the air-conditioned garment, making the positions of the air intake port and the air blowing port of the fan unit for an air-conditioned garment less easily shifted from the positions of the openings in the air-conditioned garment. Further, it is preferred that the corners and the sides of the casing be rounded, namely, subjected to curved surface machining, from the viewpoint of preventing the fan unit for an air-conditioned garment from being caught by the garment or the body of the wearer.

The longest side of the casing to be used in the fan unit preferably has a length of 200 mm or less. When the longest side of the casing has a length of preferably 200 mm or less, more preferably 180 mm or less, and still more preferably 150 mm or less, the fan unit itself can be made compact, making it possible to obtain an air-conditioned garment that provides an excellent comfortability during wearing. While the lower limit of the length of the longest side is not particularly limited, the lower limit which can be reached is about 50 mm.

The casing to be used in the fan unit has the role of protecting the devices housed in the casing from an external impact and the like. Examples of the material of the casing include: metal-based materials such as aluminum alloys and stainless steel; resin-based materials such as polyolefins, polycarbonates and ABS resins; and FRP materials such as glass fiber-reinforced resins and carbon fiber-reinforced resins; but not limited thereto. Among these, it is preferred to use an ABS resin which is lightweight and has a high impact resistance.

The fan unit preferably incorporates a Peltier element to cool or heat the external air taken into the fan unit. Incorporation of a Peltier element into the fan unit allows for changing the temperature of the taken-in external air. For example, when the cooling surface of a Peltier element 16 is provided in a flow path 8 extending from a fan 6 to an air blowing port 7 as shown in FIG. 5, the temperature of the air discharged from the air blowing port 7 can be decreased, thereby improving the cooling function of the air-conditioned garment. Further, when the heating surface of the Peltier element is provided in the flow path extending from the fan to the air blowing port, the temperature of the air discharged from the blowing port can be increased.

In the Peltier element to be used in the fan unit, each of the cooling surface and the heating surface preferably has a length of one side of 10 to 70 mm. When each of the cooling surface and the heating surface has a length of one side of preferably 10 mm or more, more preferably 15 mm or more, and still more preferably 20 mm or more, each of the cooling surface and the heating surface has a sufficient surface area for changing the temperature of the air discharged from the air blowing port. Further, when each of the cooling surface and the heating surface has a length of one side of preferably 70 mm or less, more preferably 60 mm or less, and still more preferably 50 mm or less, the fan unit itself can be made compact, making it possible to obtain an air-conditioned garment which provides an excellent comfortability during wearing. Air-conditioned Garment

The air-conditioned garment includes one or more receiving sections each that receive the above-described fan unit for an air-conditioned garment. In each receiving section, an opening to take in external air is provided at the portion of the fabric which comes into contact with the air intake port when the fan unit is received therein, and an opening is also provided at the portion of the fabric which comes into contact with the air blowing port.

It is important that the air-conditioned garment include one or more receiving sections that each receives the above-described fan unit for an air-conditioned garment. When the air-conditioned garment includes one or more receiving sections each for receiving the fan unit, each fan unit can be fixed to the garment without using a fixture. The number of the receiving sections is not particularly limited, but the air-conditioned garment preferably includes 5 or less receiving sections, because it facilitates the sewing of the garment.

It is important that openings to take in external air be provided to each receiving section at both portions thereof that come into contact with the air intake port and the air blowing port of the casing of the fan unit. When an opening that takes in external air is provided at the portion of the fabric that comes into contact with the air intake port of the casing of the fan unit, external air can be taken in efficiently. Further, when an opening is provided at the portion of the fabric that comes into contact with the air blowing port of the casing of the fan unit, the taken-in external air can be efficiently blown into the interior of the garment.

It is preferred that at least a portion of the material(s) constituting the receiving section be made of a material with elasticity. Examples of the material with elasticity include woven and knitted fabrics composed of spandex or crimped fibers, and rubber materials, but not limited thereto. Among these, a woven fabric composed of spandex or crimped fibers has an excellent durability and retention, and thus is preferred.

The number of the fan units for an air-conditioned garment to be received in the air-conditioned garment is not particularly limited, but is preferably 5 or less to reduce the weight of the air-conditioned garment and reduce discomfort during wearing.

The locations of the openings to be provided to the air-conditioned garment are selected depending on the positions of the air intake port and the air blowing port of the casing of each fan unit. At this time, the opening corresponding to the air intake port and the opening corresponding to the air blowing port are preferably provided to not be aligned on the same line, when seen from the perpendicular direction of the fabric surface. For example, when an opening 12 corresponding to the air intake port and an opening 13 corresponding to the air blowing port are provided to not be aligned on the same line as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the skin or underwear on the inner side of the air-conditioned garment is not easily exposed, even when removing the fan unit, and the design of the garment will not be compromised.

The air-conditioned garment preferably includes a path forming section on the inner side of the garment. The path forming section can have the effect of imparting a directivity to the airflow inside the garment, and is capable of controlling the airflow blown from the fan unit for an air-conditioned garment into the interior of the garment, to form a ventilation path. When the path forming section is formed inside the air-conditioned garment to actively form the ventilation path, it is possible to guide the airflow to the portion of the body that should be cooled, thereby improving the wearing comfortability, and thus is preferred.

The path forming section may be, for example, a path forming section in the form of a pair of protrusions provided at an interval roughly the same as the width of the air blowing port of the fan unit, and extend substantially in the air blowing direction. The path forming section preferably has a length of 30 to 500 mm. When the path forming section has a length of preferably 30 mm or more, more preferably 50 mm or more, and still more preferably 70 mm or more, the air and humidity inside the garment can be efficiently discharged outside the garment, making it possible to obtain a garment in which stuffy feeling and the feeling of heat are reduced. Further, when the path forming section has a length of preferably 500 mm or less, more preferably 450 mm or less, and still more preferably 400 mm, it is possible to obtain a garment which causes less discomfort due to contact between the body and the protrusions, and which provides an excellent wearing comfortability.

The air-conditioned garment may have an exhaust port. The term “exhaust port” refers not to an opening in a common garment such as the collar, sleeve, hem or the like, but to the portion of the garment having a higher air permeability than that of the basic portion of the garment, and having been separately provided for the purpose of discharging the air within the garment outside the garment. When the garment has such an exhaust port, ventilation within the garment can be enhanced to reduce the feeling of heat or stuffy feeling, making it possible to obtain a garment that provides an excellent wearing comfortability. The number of the exhaust ports and the positions of the exhaust ports to be provided are not particularly limited. However, it is preferred that the exhaust port(s) be provided on the extended line of the air blowing direction of the fan unit, because it allows for an efficient ventilation within the garment.

The exhaust port is preferably made of a material having a higher air permeability than the fabric of the garment. When the exhaust port has an air permeability higher than that of the fabric constituting the body of the garment, the air within the garment can be efficiently discharged outside the garment. The air permeability of the exhaust port is preferably 400 cm³/cm²·s or more, but not particularly limited thereto.

Examples of the material of the fibers to be used in the air-conditioned garment include polyester-based fibers, polyamide-based fibers, polyacrylic fibers, rayon-based fibers, acetate-based fibers, polyolefin-based fibers, polyurethane-based fibers, cotton, hemp, silk and wool, but not limited thereto. Among these, polyester-based fibers and polyamide-based fibers have excellent mechanical properties and durability, and thus are preferred.

The fibers to be used in the air-conditioned garment preferably have a difference (ΔMR) in moisture absorption rate of 2.0 to 10.0%. The term “ΔMR” refers to a difference between the moisture absorption rate at a temperature of 30° C. and a humidity of 90% RH, which are assumed internal temperature and humidity within the garment after light exercise, and the moisture absorption rate at a temperature of 20° C. and a humidity of 65% RH, as the temperature and humidity of external air. That is, the ΔMR is an index of the hygroscopicity, and a higher value of the ΔMR leads to a reduced stuffy feeling and sticky feeling upon sweating, and an improved wearing comfortability of the garment. When the fibers to be used have a ΔMR of preferably 2.0% or more, more preferably 3.0% or more, and still more preferably 4.0% or more, it is possible to achieve a reduced stuffy feeling and sticky feeling within the garment upon sweating, and an improved comfortability during wearing. Further, when the fibers to be used have a ΔMR of preferably 10.0% or less, more preferably 9.0% or less, and still more preferably 8.0% or less, it is possible to achieve a good process passability and a good handleability during the production of the fabric and the garment, and to obtain an air-conditioned garment having an excellent durability during wearing, as well.

The form of the fibers to be used in the air-conditioned garment is not particularly limited. The fibers may be any of monofilaments, multifilaments, staple fibers, spun yarns and the like, and may be those subjected to a processing such as false-twisting or twisting.

The total fineness, as a multifilament, of the fibers to be used in the air-conditioned garment is not particularly limited, and can be selected as appropriate, depending on the purpose and required properties. However, the total fineness is preferably 10 to 500 dtex. When the fibers as a multifilament have a total fineness of preferably 10 dtex or more, more preferably 30 dtex or more, and still more preferably 50 dtex or more, it is possible to achieve a reduced fiber breakage and a good process passability, as well as to obtain an air-conditioned garment in which the generation of fluff is reduced during use, and which has an excellent durability. Further, when the fibers as a multifilament have a total fineness of preferably 500 dtex or less, more preferably 400 dtex or less, and still more preferably 300 dtex or less, it is possible to obtain an air-conditioned garment in which the flexibility of the garment is not compromised, and which provides an excellent comfortability during wearing.

The single fiber fineness of the fibers to be used in the air-conditioned garment is not particularly limited, and can be selected as appropriate, depending on the purpose and required properties. However, the single fiber fineness is preferably 0.5 to 4.0 dtex. The term “single fiber fineness” refers to a value obtained by dividing the total fineness by the number of monofilaments. When the fibers to be used have a single fiber fineness of preferably 0.5 dtex or more, more preferably 0.6 dtex or more, and still more preferably 0.8 dtex or more, it is possible to achieve a reduced fiber breakage and an good process passability, as well as to obtain an air-conditioned garment in which the generation of fluff is reduced during use, and which has an excellent durability. Further, when the fibers to be used have a single fiber fineness of preferably 4.0 dtex or less, more preferably 2.0 dtex or less, and still more preferably 1.5 dtex or less, it is possible to obtain an air-conditioned garment in which the flexibility of the garment is not compromised, and which provides an excellent comfortability during wearing.

The breaking strength of the fibers to be used in the air-conditioned garment is not particularly limited, and can be selected as appropriate, depending on the purpose and required properties. However, the breaking strength is preferably 2.0 to 5.0 cN/dtex, from the viewpoint of improving the mechanical properties. When the fibers to be used have a breaking strength of preferably 2.0 cN/dtex or more, and more preferably 3.0 cN/dtex or more, it is possible to obtain an air-conditioned garment in which the generation of fluff is reduced during use, and which has an excellent durability. Further, when the fibers to be used have a breaking strength of preferably 5.0 cN/dtex or less, it is possible to obtain an air-conditioned garment in which the flexibility of the garment is not compromised, and which provides an excellent comfortability during wearing.

The elongation at break of the fibers to be used in the air-conditioned garment is not particularly limited, and can be selected as appropriate, depending on the purpose and required properties. However, the elongation at break is preferably 10 to 60%, from the viewpoint of improving the durability. When the fibers to be used have an elongation at break of preferably 10% or more, more preferably 15% or more, and still more preferably 20% or more, it is possible to obtain an air-conditioned garment in which the abrasion resistance of the garment is improved, in which the generation of fluff is reduced during use, and which has an excellent durability. Further, when the fibers to be used have an elongation at break of preferably 60% or less, more preferably 55% or less, and still more preferably 50% or less, the dimensional stability of the garment is improved, making it possible to obtain an air-conditioned garment having an excellent durability.

The cross-sectional shape of the fibers to be used in the air-conditioned garment is not particularly limited, and can be selected as appropriate, depending on the purpose and required properties. The fibers to be used may have a cross section in the form of a perfect circle, or a non-circular cross section. Specific examples of the shape of the non-circular cross section include a multi-leaf shape, a polygonal shape, a flat shape and an oval shape, but not limited thereto.

The fabric to be used in the air-conditioned garment preferably has an air permeability of 50 to 500 cm³/cm²·s. When the fabric to be used has an air permeability of preferably 50 cm³/cm²·s or more, more preferably 70 cm³/cm²·s or more, and still more preferably 90 cm³/cm²·s or more, an excellent evaporation of sweat can be achieved, and the use of the fabric for the garment enables to reduce the stuffy feeling, the sticky feeling and the feeling of heat upon sweating. Further, when the fabric to be used has an air permeability of preferably 500 cm³/cm²·s or less, more preferably 400 cm³/cm²·s or less, and still more preferably 350 cm³/cm²·s or less, the mechanical properties of the fabric are improved. As a result, it possible not only to improve the process passability and the handleability during the production of the fabric and the garment, but also to obtain an air-conditioned garment having an excellent durability during use. In addition, the fabric will not be too thin, and the garment can be worn without discomfort.

The form of the fabric to be used in the air-conditioned garment is not particularly limited, and the fabric can be formed into a woven fabric, a knitted fabric, a pile fabric, a nonwoven fabric or the like, in accordance with a known method. Further, the fabric may be any woven structure or knitted structure, and it is possible to suitably use: a plain weave fabric, a twill weave fabric, a satin weave fabric, a double weave fabric or a modification thereof; or a warp knit fabric, a weft knit fabric, a circular knit fabric, a lace stitch fabric or a modification thereof; or the like.

The fabric to be used in the air-conditioned garment may be dyed as necessary. The dyeing method is not particularly limited, and a cheese dyeing machine, a jet dyeing machine, a drum dyeing machine, a beam dyeing machine, a jigger, a high-pressure jigger or the like can be suitably used, in accordance with a known method. Further, the dye concentration and the dyeing temperature are not particularly limited, and a known method can be suitably used.

The form of the air-conditioned garment is not particularly limited. The air-conditioned garment may be either an upper wear or a bottom wear, the upper wear may be either long sleeve or short sleeve, and the bottom wear may have either a long length or a short length. The term “upper wear” refers to a garment worn on the upper body and the term “bottom wear” refers to a garment worn on the lower body. Specific examples of the upper wear include: underwear such as undershirts, tank tops and camisoles; general clothing such as T shirts, polo shirts, clothes made from jersey cloth, pajamas, blouses, jackets and workwear; and sports clothing such as sports undershirts and sports shirts; but not limited thereto. Further, specific examples of the bottom wear include: underwear such as underpants; general clothing such as slacks, pants, skirts, pajamas and workwear; and sports clothing such as sports pants; but not limited thereto.

EXAMPLES

Our blower units and garments will now be described in further detail by way of Examples. The respective characteristic values in the Examples were obtained by the following methods.

A. Feeling of Heat

To carry out a garment-wearing test for the evaluation of the feeling of heat, 20 subjects each wore the air-conditioned garment produced in each Example. Subsequently, assuming an indoor environment during summer without air conditioning, each subject evaluated the condition inside the garment in accordance with the following criteria, after resting one hour sitting on a chair, in a room at a temperature of 30° C. and a humidity of 60% RH. “No feeling of heat is felt” was scored as 5 points, “A feeling of heat is barely felt” was scored as 4 points, “A feeling of heat is slightly felt” was scored as 3 points, “A feeling of heat is felt” was scored as 2 points, and “An intense feeling of heat is felt” was scored as 1 point. The average score of the points evaluated by the 20 subjects was calculated, and an average score of 3.0 points or more was taken as “acceptable.”

B. Wearing Feeling

For evaluation of the wearing feeling, each of the 20 subjects wore the air-conditioned garment produced in each Example, and carried out the evaluation in accordance with the following criteria. “None of the feeling of heaviness, discomfort due to wearing, and an unpleasant feeling caused by the noise of the fan, is felt” was scored as 5 points, “All of the feeling of heaviness, discomfort due to wearing, and an unpleasant feeling caused by the noise of the fan are barely felt” was scored as 4 points, “Any one or more of the feeling of heaviness, discomfort due to wearing, and an unpleasant feeling caused by the noise of the fan are slightly felt” was scored as 3 points, “Any one or more of the feeling of heaviness, discomfort due to wearing, and an unpleasant feeling caused by the noise of the fan are felt” was scored as 2 points, and “Any one or more of the feeling of heaviness, discomfort due to wearing, and an unpleasant feeling caused by the noise of the fan are intensely felt” was scored as 1 point. The average score of the points evaluated by the 20 subjects was calculated, and an average score of 3.0 points or more was taken as “acceptable.”

C. Design

For evaluation of the design, the air-conditioned garment produced in each Example was put on a mannequin, and 20 subjects each evaluated the appearance of the garment, in accordance with the following criteria. “The fan unit is not conspicuous, and the garment can be worn in office without a problem” was scored as 5 points, “The fan unit is barely conspicuous, and the garment can be worn in office without hesitation” was scored as 4 points, “The fan unit is conspicuous, but the garment can be worn in office” was scored as 3 points, “The fan unit is conspicuous, and wearing the garment in office is hesitated” was scored as 2 points, and “The fan unit is conspicuous, and wearing the garment in office is greatly hesitated” was scored as 1 point. The average score of the points evaluated by the 20 subjects was calculated, and an average score of 3.0 points or more was taken as “acceptable.”

Example 1

FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the fan unit for an air-conditioned garment of Example 1. In Example 1, one centrifugal fan having a thickness of 5 mm and a diameter of 30 mm was used, and a motor attached to the fan, a lithium-ion battery as a battery, a charging terminal and a power switch were housed in a casing having a thickness of 15 mm and a length of the longest side of 100 mm, to prepare a fan unit in which the charging terminal and the power switch were provided on the exterior of the casing. One air intake port was provided on one surface of the casing, and one air blowing port was provided on the back surface of the surface provided with the air intake port to not be aligned on the same line with the air intake port.

FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the receiving section for receiving the fan unit, in the air-conditioned garment of Example 1. Using a 66 dtex-72f false-twisted yarn of hygroscopic Nylon fibers having a ΔMR of 3.9%, a knitted fabric was prepared to achieve an air permeability of 150 cm³/cm·s, and then a shirt made of the knitted fabric was produced. One pocket-shaped receiving section made of a knitted fabric of Nylon crimped fibers was provided on the outer side at the lower back portion of the shirt. After charging the fan unit prepared above, the fan unit was received in the pocket such that the air intake port of the casing of the fan unit faces the outer side of the garment. Thereafter, blowing of air into the interior of the garment from the fan unit was initiated at a flow rate of 0.03 m³/min per one piece of unit, and the garment-wearing tests were carried out. The resulting evaluation results are shown in Table 1.

Example 2

FIG. 3 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the fan unit for an air-conditioned garment of Example 2. In Example 2, one centrifugal fan having a thickness of 5 mm and a diameter of 30 mm was used, and a motor attached to the fan, a lithium-ion battery as a battery, a charging terminal and a power switch were housed in a casing having a thickness of 15 mm and a length of the longest side of 100 mm, to prepare a fan unit in which the charging terminal and the operating portion of the power switch were provided on the exterior of the casing. One air intake port was provided on one surface of the casing, and one air blowing port was provided on the surface perpendicular to the surface provided with the air intake port.

FIG. 4 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the receiving section for receiving the fan unit, in the air-conditioned garment of Example 2. In Example 2, the air-conditioned garment was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that one pocket-shaped receiving section made of a knitted fabric of crimped fibers was provided on the inner side at the lower back portion of the shirt. Thereafter, the garment-wearing tests were carried out. The resulting evaluation results are shown in Table 1.

Example 3

FIG. 5 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the fan unit for an air-conditioned garment of Example 3. In Example 3, an air-conditioned garment was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the cooling surface of a square-shaped Peltier element whose one side has a length of 30 mm was provided in the flow path between the fan and the air blowing port. Thereafter, the garment-wearing tests were carried out. The resulting evaluation results are shown in Table 1.

Example 4

In Example 4, an air-conditioned garment was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that a cross-flow fan having a thickness of 5 mm and a diameter of 30 mm was used. Thereafter, the garment-wearing tests were carried out. The resulting evaluation results are shown in Table 1.

Example 5

In Example 5, an air-conditioned garment was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that a double raschel fabric having a thickness of 10 mm, a length of 300 mm and a width of 15 mm was used to form a pair of protrusions, as the path forming section, in the interior of the air-conditioned garment. The double raschel fabric described above is composed of a surface structure and a back surface structure each made of a 167 dtex-48f false-twisted yarn of polyester fibers, and a binding structure as an intermediate layer made of 440 dtex monofilaments of polyester-based elastomer fibers. Thereafter, the garment-wearing tests were carried out. As the path forming section, two protrusions arranged in parallel were attached to the garment at an interval of 40 mm in the width direction such that the lower ends of the protrusions coincide with the upper end of the fan unit and to be symmetrical with respect to the center line between the right and left sides of the fan unit. The resulting evaluation results are shown in Table 1.

Comparative Example 1

An air-conditioned garment was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that: a centrifugal fan having a thickness of 5 mm and a diameter of 30 mm was used; a motor and a power switch were housed in a casing having a thickness of 15 mm and a length of the longest side of 100 mm; and a battery was housed in a separate casing and connected with a power cable. Thereafter, the garment-wearing tests were carried out. The resulting evaluation results are shown in Table 1.

Comparative Example 2

An axial fan having a thickness of 10 mm and a diameter of 50 mm was used, the fan was housed in a fan cover having a plurality of air vent ports, instead of a casing, and a battery, a charging terminal and a power switch were housed in a separate casing and connected with a power cable, to produce a fan unit. After charging the battery, the fan portion of the fan unit was attached to the opening of a shirt which is made of a Nylon knitted fabric having an air permeability of 150 cm³/cm²·s, and which has the opening on the outer side at the lower back portion thereof. Thereafter, blowing of air was initiated under the same conditions as in Example 1, and the garment-wearing tests were carried out. The resulting evaluation results are shown in Table 1.

TABLE 1 Comparative Comparative Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 Example 4 Example 5 Example 1 Example 2 Feeling 3.7 3.6 4.6 3.3 4.3 3.7 4.4 of Heat [points] Wearing 4.2 4.2 4.3 3.9 4.0 2.1 1.9 Feeling [points] Design 4.3 4.6 4.3 4.6 4.0 4.3 2.2 [points]

Since the air-conditioned garments obtained in Examples 1 to 5 showed good results in all of the evaluations of the feeling of heat, the wearing feeling and the design, it has been revealed that these air-conditioned garments have an excellent wearing comfortability and design in occasions to be worn in offices, at home and the like.

On the other hand, while the air-conditioned garment obtained in Comparative Example 1 showed good results in the evaluation of the feeling of heat and the design, it has been revealed that the air-conditioned garment has a poor wearing feeling due to the discomfort caused by the presence of the power cable. Further, while the air-conditioned garment obtained in Comparative Example 2 showed a good result in the evaluation of the feeling of heat, it has been revealed that the air-conditioned garment has a decreased wearing feeling due to the presence of the power cable, and in addition, has a poor design because the fan unit was conspicuous.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The air-conditioned garment can maintain a comfortable environment within the garment due to achieving a reduced feeling of heat. We thus provide a fan unit for an air-conditioned garment and an air-conditioned garment including the fan unit, which have excellent wearing comfortability and design. In particular, the fan unit for an air-conditioned garment and the air-conditioned garment including the fan unit can be used publicly in occasions to be worn in offices, at home and the like. 

1-5. (canceled)
 6. A fan unit for an air-conditioned garment, wherein said fan unit takes external air into an interspace between said garment and a wearer's body, said fan unit comprising: a fan that blows external air into the interior of said garment; a motor that rotates said fan; a battery that supplies power to said motor; a charging terminal for charging said battery; and a power switch to start and stop said fan unit, wherein said fan, said motor and said battery are housed in a casing, said casing has an air intake port that takes in external air, and an air blowing port that blows the taken-in external air into the interior of said garment, said charging terminal and said power switch are provided on the exterior of said casing, and said casing has a thickness of 5 to 30 mm in an axial direction of said fan.
 7. The fan unit according to claim 6, wherein said casing is substantially in a shape of a rectangular parallelepiped having a longest side with a length of 200 mm or less.
 8. The fan unit according to claim 6, wherein said fan is a centrifugal fan or a cross-flow fan that blows air in a direction substantially perpendicular to the fan axis.
 9. The fan unit according to claim 6, wherein said fan unit incorporates a Peltier element that cools or heats the external air taken into said fan unit.
 10. An air-conditioned garment comprising one or more receiving sections that each receives the fan unit according to claim 6, wherein openings that take in external air are provided to each receiving section at both portions thereof that come into contact with said air intake port and said air blowing port of said casing. 